Aom’s P.O.V

As yesterday, I had a lot of things to talk with Dew. Dew has never changed, she’s talkative and more important she’s cheerful. She can know exactly what I think even if she hasn’t seen me for a bit long time. I can’t hide her anything.

Let’s move back to today.

It’s 9am in the morning and I usually wake up at 6am to help my mom some small works to avoid her from getting tired. My mom has gone to the grocery store just a moment ago and she left me taking care of the shop. I manage to sit calmly at the cash bar. Seriously, nobody comes to a café shop this early. Many customers start to come here usually from 10 am forward. But it’s strange for today. As I’m sitting and watching for customers from the inside through the front door, I can see a luxurious car park in front of the café shop exactly like the same way as Tina parked her car yesterday. I try to look carefully to examine who that is. My guess isn’t wrong. It’s really Tina and I know exactly why she comes today.

But wait! Not only Tina! There’s another person opening the door from the passenger side and come along with her as well. Tina and that girl come into the shop with their hands full of books, my books, actually.

“Can’t you just help me a bit?” Tina complains to me by the time that girl and her manage to open the door and put all the books on the table.

“I’d love to, but there’s no need for you” then I look away.

“At least be good and open the door for me a bit! Can’t you see that we both couldn’t open the door easily?” Tina’s face is getting straight as a line now.

“Whatever!” then I walk to the table where Tina and that girl put the books on.

“These are all my books?” I ask when I’m trying to count.

“Whose else?” then she rolls her eyes like a kid then I attack her by my elbow because of that behavior.

I notice that the girl who stands beside Tina just smiles with a warm one. I got my eyes on her and I am like wow, this girl is really amazing. She’s very pretty so there’s no way now that Tina can deny that this girl is her girlfriend.

“Hi” she greets me by her soft and low voice and I am just too shock to answer back.

“Uh, Aom?” Tina waves her hands in front of myself then I get myself into the reality.

“Oh, hi” then I just smile to that girl.

“I almost forgot to introduce you both to each other.” She smiles gently then continues her speech “Mean, this is Aom whom I was talking about” then Tina looks at me. “And Aom, this is Mean, my adopted sister.” Then I turn to look at Mean, surprisingly she already looks at me. I thought she was Tina’s girlfriend in fact she isn’t. Seriously, I’ve never heard Uncle Steven ever mentioned about his adopted her daughter- really. Well, it’s his family business, I don’ t wanna interfere much.

“Nice to meet you, Aom. I’ve heard so much about you from last night dinner.” She grins to me then I just have to smile gently back to her but at the inside, I am like what? Why? Why did it have to be me to become your family topic in dinner? I couldn’t help myself from thinking so I just have to ask.

“Really? Why?” I open my eyes widely to Mean. But then Mean just grins and gets her eyes to Tina, thus, I also follow her eyes.

Tina’s reaction is kinda weird. It’s like she is shy or something.

“Umm, actually, dad has never mentioned about any girls to the whole family. Surprisingly, he brought the topic of you to the dinner last night. And surprisingly Tina- ”

“Aom, can you make us 2 glasses of coffee? I wanna try your shop’s drinks.” Tina cuts Mean off and that makes me even more wondering.

Mean just stops there, doesn’t continue so I just ignore this reaction then get both of them coffee.

As I’m making the coffee, I look at their table a bit to analyze those 2 people. There’s perhaps something wrong with Mean. Well, it’s like she was trying to make jokes at the moment and is getting upset now. Her face is so calm and almost to upset. Tina doesn’t catch Mean’s face’s reaction, though. Tina seems to enjoy the atmosphere in here because it’s quiet and almost a gentle place to relax. She keeps looking around the shop then get her eyes to the view from the outside of the shop (our shop wall is made from glass). I doubt to myself of what’s wrong with Mean? She was making joke and now she’s getting upset? What’s the point? Or is it her usual face?

I end my coffee making then take those 2 glasses to their table. Tina smiles when she receives her glass and so does Mean.

“Anything more I can help?” I am trying to be polite since they’re my guests.

“No… No, thank you.” Mean smiles. I smile back to her and try to walk away but a louder voice pauses me there.

“Wait, don’t you want to talk to us a bit? I’m tired here. Your books are heavy, at least pay me off by staying with us?” I’m a hundred percent sure this speech is how Tina complaining things.

I roll my eyes and Mean just laughs at my sudden reaction.

“And did I call you to take all those books to me today?”

“Do you think that you will learn anything while you don’t have any books at all with you?” Tina speaks while she’s stirring her coffee.

“It’s none of your business.”

Tina exhales “How many times do I have to tell you that I am going to be dead if I get you into trouble? So from now on, your business is also mine!” she smirks to me. Ugh! I hate that smirk! It’s like she’s winning over me.

“Fine.” I let her wins this time, but there’ll be no next time. I sit down in between those 2, and Tina is just happy to win over me.

“So, umm…” Mean tries to open up her sentence but…

“Does your shop have anything to eat? I’m hungry. I haven’t eaten anything from home.” Tina cuts off again. What’s wrong with her? Trying to cut off what Mean wants to talk every time.

“Can’t you see those cakes in the fridge?” I turn my eyes to the fridge, which I put all those homemade cakes inside and Tina also follows the direction of my eyes.

“Can I?” Tina is begging like a kid.

“Sure, go and get yourself” then I wave my right hand to her to let show her that go away.

Tina just stands up and gets the cake like I told her. I guess she really is hungry. There are only 2 people at the table now and there’s Mean and me.

I try not to look at Mean but I can feel that she’s looking at me all the time and that makes me having a hard time to concentrate on something else. I decide that I should talk about something with her so I just turn to meet her eyes but surprisingly again, she’s already starring at me.

“Umm…” I try to clear my voice to speak something.

“How long have you been Tina’s adopted sister, Mean?” okay, so this is the first topic I could think of because I only want to avoid the silence and her too-much-starring at me, it makes me a little bit hard to breathe.

“10 years, maybe? Yes, should be around this period.” She smiles then takes a grab of coffee.

“Oh, that’s quite a long time” I nod.

“Mind if I ask you something?” her face is getting serious and that gets me scared.

“Uh, sure. Why not?” I smile to relieve her seriousness a bit.

“How do you think about Tina?” what? What is Mean thinking of asking me like this?

“Why?” Really, I’m just in shock now.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just wanna know your thinking of her.”

“Just normal. Nothing more.” I look down at the table with a smile.

“Really?” Mean really sounds like she’s happy to hear that or something.

“Yeah, I just met her yesterday, how do you expect me to think of her more?” I laugh as I turn my face up back then look back to Mean.

“Oh…” Mean puts down her face a bit.

Then Tina returns with a big piece of cake on her plate and eat all alone. I stare at her with disbelieve then complain.

“Hey, don’t you want to call Mean to eat with you?”

Tina just laughs when she tries to look at Mean then look back to me.

“Mean doesn’t like to eat cake.” Then she laughs again. Tina is really easy to make her happy. She laughs a lot.

“Really?” I turn to look at Mean to hear her answer if Tina lies to me or not.

“Yes, I don’t like eating cake at all.” She smiles then drinks her coffee again.

“What about you, Aom?” Tina asks and eats he cake.

“I like to eat cake but there’s an exception of it.” I stare down at my hand as Tina puts her face up to look at me.

“And that exception is…?” I can feel that Tina is waiting for my answer.

“I only eat cake whenever I feel depressed or mad. Mostly chocolate cake.” That is it. I decide to turn my face up and I meet Tina’s gaze at my eyes.

“So mysterious!” Tina teases me again. Ugh, I hate her at that point.

“Yes and fine, enjoy your cake. Should I sum up youe bill now or should I wait until you’re done?” I try to back.

Ring Ring Ring…

The ring of the bell, which my dad put on the front door rang and that means someone comes in. I hold no interests on Tina for a while then turn to look who that is and there’s no surprise, she’s my mother.

“Ah, Aom honey, can you help me a bit?” my mom comes back from the grocery shop with her hands full of groceries.

“Coming, mom.” Then I stand up and walk to the front door. My mom seems to notice who I was sitting with. She decides to ask me just as soon as I receive some stuffs from her.

“Who are they, Aom?” My mom is very curious with that because in my entire life that I have looked over the shop, I’ve never sat with any customers.

“Umm, they’re Uncle Steven’s daughters.” I explain.

She gaps then puts all her groceries on the table then walks quickly to Tina’s table.

I am so shock at the moment but then I follow her as I put the stuffs on the table for a while then walk.

My mom smiles warmly to Tina and Mean as if she’s known them before. As I arrive at the table, I can see that Tina’s eyes are telling me that she’s in shock with an unknown woman walking crazily and smiles to them without any proper reasons. And Mean as well. She’s just as shock as Tina.

“Good morning.” My mom greets them first.

“Uhh, yes, good morning, auntie.” I guess Tina is only trying to be polite back.

“Good morning, auntie” Mean greets my mom.

I can’t help myself from laughing in this awkward moment so I just have to laugh and then everybody is looking at me again.

“Umm, Tina, Mean, this is my mother.” Then I laugh again but my mother elbowed me not to laugh so I have to force myself to stop successfully.

Tina and Mean nod and greet my mom traditionally.

“Sawadee ka” they both speak that phrase at the same time with a wai.

“Sawadee ka” my mom greets them back as well.

Both of them keep smiling politely then my mom continues.

“Please make yourself home. You can have anything you’d like.” She smiles again.

“Thank you, Auntie. Luckily that you’re here, I’m about to ask Aom something. Though since you’re here, I think it’s better to ask you.” Tina smirks to me.

“Ahh, what is it, Tina?”  Aom’s mom raises her left eyebrow.

“I actually want to request of having lunch here. But Aom seems to be uncomfortable with this.” Tina chuckles.

“Is that so? Please don’t worry. Of course you can have your lunch here. Please wait until the lunch time arrives, I will surely make something delicious for you kids.” My mom is very happy to hear that Tina wants to have her lunch here. I try to act as uncomfortable as much as I can but my mom refuses to see my will.

“But mom…” I try to change her mind and Tina gets attention from me immediately.

“Isn’t it cute to have your friends having their lunch here with you?” Then she smiles to Tina and mean, so do them.

My mom just smiles then walks away. It’s very strange that when she walked into the shop with those stuffs, it was as if she couldn’t walk further anymore. Though after the talk with Tina and Mean, she feels very energetic.

She left me alone standing in front of them both. Mean just laughs after seeing my uncomfortable face.

“You seem not to welcome these 2 guests here, do you?” Mean asks.

“For you, it’s okay. But for her, absolutely yes.” I roll my eyes to Tina and she just laughs.

“It’s not about you, it’s about your mom. Once your mom accepts me to be here, I’ll be staying. And don’t you want to sit at all?” she stares at me.

“Don’t go anywhere, Tina, Mean! Lunch will be here soon.” My mom shouts from the kitchen and that really bugs my feelings.

I don’t know why but Mean’s expression just changes over time. She just laughs then become quiet again and again. She’s very mysterious and I can’t bring myself to ask Tina at all when Mean is all here. Sometimes, I spot her behaving uncomfortably because of Tina teasing me and myself teasing back to Tina. She doesn’t talk much, I really can’t ask her at all. The more Tina tries to get close to me, the more she’s trying to ignore us by starring at the window. I really don’t understand.